Meet the V.O.N.Y speaks PANELISTS!

I can't wait for all of these artists, educators and progressive minds, to share in discussion the wonderful possibilities to allow our children to experiment with their own voices and show us what they are thinking and seeing. We can help aide the direction of their expression into a positive light by, if it's reflecting pain we can help them heal through it or if it's showing advancement we can praise it. Babies show u how to be, that's why raising children is a way of life. We learn about our selves through the eyes of a child. We need to pay more attention to what our kids are doing, because common folks don't know that, they are preparing for the future and the way they perceive the world now will dictate the aftermath of their actions. We need to raise active participants of communities, that way everyone has a use they can share to help keep society involved and resourceful for the common need for growth of progression. Everyone of these panelist's have been chosen because they are actively contributing to the youth and working with communities to raise awareness about the importance of youth developments and it's benefits for the future of mankind. Thanks again for stepping into the movement part of things..and taking part in the movement for youth empowerment!

Here is a list of the topics and panelist speaking at the 1st Annual Youth Media/Arts conference . Get to know them and their influence to communities, society and mankind as a whole.

"In An Ideal World: Brainstorming Educational Policies for the 21^st Century"



Shomwa Shamapande: Communications Advisor, Writer, and Activist! Check him out below at links to articles and networks he is members of: He along with other school administrators, educators, parents and youth advocates will be speaking in the 1st Annual Voices of New York Speak Youth Media/Arts Conference panel discussions.
http://www.un.org.za/?p=78
http://www.undp.org/legalempowerment/press/
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/shom-shamapande/6/6a8/a38#h150-792 http://www.facebook.com/shomwa

Stacey Shells: Principal, educator, youth advocate.
Stacey Shells is the Founding Principal of True North Rochester Preparatory Charter School, which is a part of Uncommon Schools. She is currently set to open her second school in the fall of 2010.

Kanene Holder: Educator, Award winning actress, youth activist.
Kanene is a New York Life Graduate Fellow for the Colin Powel Center for Public Policy at City College researching the psycho-social impacts of living in urban areas and currently teaches 5^th grade social studies at Harlem Children’s Zone. Her revolutionary social justice/multimedia curriculum is responsible for her students being published in the Creative Communities poetry anthology and their protest posters being exhibited at NYU, Steinhart.

Lee Turley: Special needs advocate
Lee Turley a Berklee College of Music graduate ran the only co-ed special olympics gymnastics program in metro Boston from 2003-2008. During this time he also became a consultant for the City of Cambridge public school system as a special needs advisor for their personal aides. Helped train one of his special needs athletes to become an official competing team member for the CRLS gymnastics team a first in the school's history along with training her to become a gymnastics coach as her lifelong vocation post high school implemented through the State of Massachusetts.

Kareem Hertzog: F1 in Schools Consultant USA. http://f1inschools.pitsco.com/

And last but not least is Laurie, she epitomizes the type of woman you become when you open your heart and embrace your new found role and fulfill the highest position society has and that is motherhood. Raising a son under the spectrum of Autism, Laurie has given her life to educate people on the epidemic and shares her story to of struggles with the Education/Medical system and the positive advancements made with her son Jack's learning disability.


Laurie Markiewicz: Parent, Youth advocate/Special needs educator; Ladies Love NYC Collective.
Deeply rooted in the Tri-State Area, Laurie Markiewicz (Miss Laurie/LadiesLoveNyc) has been involved in the underground hardcore/hip-hop/skate circuits for more than half of her life. Laurie packs an impressive list of credentials with extensive and nuanced work in youth development, ranging from her experience with newborns, to youth in the juvenile detention centers in New York. Laurie’s main vision and driving passion is towards bringing women to the forefront of media through the performing and visual arts, as well as fundraising for different community initiatives. Her two most recently produced and very successful events, Ladies Love Dilla & Ladies Love The Breaks, were a fundraisers for Lupus & Autism Awareness.

Other Panel themes covered.
"Rise of Teaching Artists" (Modern Day Mentors)

Stacey Alicia: Adapting CHAMP+ for South Africa: Supporting HIV+ Youth and Families,Project Director, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University.

Suzen Baraka: Spoken Word Artist and youth activist. An award-winning performer, Suzen has competed nationally in both speech forensics and in spoken word with the Newark, New Jersey Slam Team in Austin, Texas (2006), affirming her exceptional skill as an artist.

Nikki Ntu: Artist Mcee, Voices of New York's Youth Advocate and Mentor. Check out the recent release of her her Debut Album "History of Dreams". Her undeniable style fervor
infused with political and a spiritual self -expression heard from very few artists today.
http://www.myspace.com/nikkintu

Kim Alderman: Parent and Teaching Artist. Specializes in teaching youth sculptural ceramics, mixed media painting and the art of sand-painting [Rangoli] from India.
http://www.kim-alderman.com/

RIP: Founder of Writer Block, a Cultural Arts movement based in New york City. Spoken Word artist, Community Organizer and Activist.
::WEAREWRITERSBLOCK.COM::

The "Media and Identity" Panelists are Youth Media Activists addressing how media can shape the identities and culture of our children.

Melo X: Music Producer, Artist, Youth Advocate http://melo-x.blogspot.com/

Allyson Cole: Founder of Start-up Non-profit, Create a Path, for adolescent girls on probation
that will enable them to fulfill their self-declared artistic, vocational, and educational goals.

Tiffany Richards: Film Director, Youth Media Activist. http://www.myspace.com/artistniche

Lisa Russell: Filmmaker and Activist is an Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker whose background in humanitarian and international development work has inspired her to produce films about the health and well-being of our global society. http://www.governessfilms.com/

FOR SCHEDULES ON THE PANEL TOPICS AND/OR WORKSHOPS, FILM SCREENINGS ETC, GOING ON DURING THE VONY SPEAK YOUTH MEDIA/ARTS CONFERENCE GO TO : http://vonyspeak-conference.org/

Benefit Concert Flyer by Lichiban

Lichiban is VONY'S very own teaching artist and mentor, other then giving back to the youth she is also a talented visual artist with an extraordinary gift. I was blessed to have her design a Flyer highlighting The Voices of New York Speak Benefit concert. The Benefit Concert doors will open at 7pm and show will start at 8pm. *Also sharing the stage with BILAL, 88-Keys, and Jesse Boykins III now is Honey Larochelle check her out @ http://www.myspace.com/honeybsmusic.

For a peak in to Lichiban's world go to http://lichiban.blogspot.com/.

The Youth Media/Arts Conference is happening right before the concert with in the same venue 92yTribeca a Multimedia center located in the heart of Tribeca. It will start from 2-7pm offering workshops, panels, film screenings, and activites/workshops at the Kidz Corner, a free daycare opportunity for parents that want to attend.

The benefit concert will offer guests a chance to network, mingle and celebrate our youth, while raising money for Voices of New York a non-profit organization, to provide youth media/arts programs that offer creative expression outlets to build positive critical thinking and confidence within underserved communities. To learn more please go to http://www.vonyspeak-conference.org/.

THE COMPOUND GIVES BACK!

The Compound has kicked off their Brooklyn summer series Part 1 to benefit Dare to Dream , Create a Path, and Voices of New York. Supporting our causes to provide Creative Arts to youth for the greater good of their development! It's an honor to have been pick out to be showcased for the work VONY wants to do. They are supporting the 1st Annual Voices of New York Speak Youth Media/Arts conference this June 27th by raising money for the project and making sure that it is a reality for parents, educators and youth advocates to attend. FOR MORE INFO GO TO: www.thecompoundbkny.blogspot.com
SEE YOU THERE!!!!